How can I recognize great listing photographs?

Professional real estate photographs share these three qualities (at a minimum):

Solid compositions of clean rooms

Straight vertical and horizontal lines

Even, bright lighting throughout

If the pictures your (prospective) agent shows you are dim, cluttered, and skewed/tilted, they've probably shot the pictures themselves—and possibly with a cell phone camera. Few agents are professional photographers. Ask your agent to hire a professional for your listing.

Here are some examples from homes I've photographed in central Illinois—and you can click over to the blog to see many more.

So what do you do that’s different?

That’s another great question!

First, I’ll consult with you to learn about your home and the features you (and/or your agent) think need to be highlighted. Then you'll get a copy of my home preparation checklist to ensure your house looks its best when I come to make the pictures.

On the day of the shoot, I’ll arrive at your house and take a few minutes for a walkthrough, making notes about the rooms and features. I’ll typically photograph the exterior first and then I’ll come indoors with a couple cases of gear. Once inside, I usually photograph the bedrooms and bathrooms, and then move on to the other living areas: family room, living room, dining area, and kitchen. I'll also look for interesting features and appealing architectural details that will attract buyers to click through the listing photographs.

The images you'll receive will have straight verticals and horizontals—they won't be skewed in goofy ways or have horizons that tilt at odd angles. They'll be attractively composed and lit. My goal is to make pictures that could just as easily grace the pages of a magazine as they would your online listing.

I’m selling my home myself (FSBO) and can take my own pictures; why would I want to pay you to do it?

Because beautiful photographs will entice your buyers and have them (literally) lining up at your front door.

As a professional real estate photographer, I bring a sense of design, an eye for composition, and my technical knowledge of camera and lighting gear to create the kinds of images that people want to see while they're shopping.

Sure, you can take the do-it-yourself approach to every aspect of selling your home, including the listing photos. Understand, though, that hiring a real estate photographer can make your home much more attractive to buyers.

I realize that one of your primary goals as a For Sale By Owner seller is to save money. Great photography is a place where it's wise for you to make an investment. Your listing will get more views and you're likely to get a higher offer for your home as well.

And it's more affordable than you may think.

I already own a nice camera (DSLR). Why should I hire you?

Think of it this way: I have a basketball but I sure can’t play like Michael Jordan.

And I’ve seen lots of people wear Air Jordans but there’s still only one Michael Jordan. In fact, I’ll bet no one ever said, “Mike—those are really nice shoes. I’ll bet you score a lot of points with those sweet kicks on your feet!” (Well, Spike Lee thought it was the shoes but we know better.)

I have a hammer but it doesn't make me a carpenter.

You have a computer but you’re probably not writing novels like Stephen King.

In the same way, owning a “nice camera” doesn’t make you a photographer. And there’s a lot more to making great property photos than simply having a camera.

Wow—you bring two cases of gear? Do you really need all that just to photograph my house?

In a word, yes. Some property photographers use a technique called High Dynamic Range (HDR) processing. This involves taking multiple exposures of the same scene and then blending them together in post-production.

Others put a flash on top of the camera when the rooms are dark and snap away. Here is the truth: this is the worst way to add light to a scene. As I mentioned in the gear video above, you will NEVER see me do this.

I use the HDR approach occasionally but I prefer to place lights in strategic and flattering locations within a room and then make one exposure. Whenever possible, I like to get the scene right in the camera since this minimizes my time on the computer later (which means I can get the finished photographs to you faster as well).

So how long will it take you to photograph my house?

It depends on the size of your house, the complexity of the job, and how well staged the property is when I arrive, but 1.5—3 hours is pretty typical. If we have to move furniture or stuff, it takes longer.

What happens after you’re done?

The photographs are post processed and then uploaded to a private online gallery for you. I’ll email you the gallery login details and you can then download the photographs to post them online. Turnaround time is almost always less than 24 hours.

The photographs you'll receive will be perfectly sized for your listing, Facebook, and wherever else you plan to post them.

Who owns the photographs and how does licensing work?

Since I’m the creator of the images, I retain copyright ownership. The photographs are licensed to the agent (or you, the homeowner, if you're going FSBO) for the purpose of marketing your home. You may use them in your online listings but you may not give or sell them to any other third party (agent, builder/developer, etc.). If you'd like to use the images in additional ways, I'd be happy to discuss pricing for those uses with you.

Should I be home while you’re photographing my house?

I can work more quickly if I'm able to work on my own.. I may also ask if it’s OK to move something in order to get a better scene in a room.

Speaking of liability, do you have insurance?

Yes. I carry a $1,000,000 business liability policy.

In what areas do you work? Can you photograph my house?

I'm in central Illinois (Lincoln) and travel throughout the area: Bloomington/Normal, Springfield, Peoria, Decatur, Champaign/Urbana or farther. Locations beyond 20 miles from Lincoln (62656) may incur a travel fee.

This sounds like a good idea. What do you charge to photograph my home?